JPTR 3020

How I justify my scores:
Professor: soft-spoken, tends to adventure on tangents, engaging lecturer, is slow but thorough
Fun: Does watching a basketball game instead of listening to a lecture in class sound fun? (As a serious answer: I like hearing about things I've never heard of before even if it does prove to be challenging to understand sometimes.)
Difficulty: She is a harsh grader (relative to me). You'll do well if you have gotten A's in high school. She does not guide you very much in terms of how to write, so it's crucial that you already know the bare bones of composing a solid essay such as giving context, evidence, and analysis. She really expects you to go above and beyond, as outlined in her syllabus. Some people may like professors that update grades quickly and hand out a lot of resources, but this course is not like that. There is a degree of leniency as a result, but it's important that you remind yourself to finish what's assigned.
Recommendability: I did not know anything about Japanese Literature or culture l when I began, but now I can list the top Japanese authors, give you a detailed explanation, and use some Japanese terms such as "honnae" and "tatamae". I feel like I got an education worth the tuition that I pay. Granted, the course is not "easy".
Tips and HW: There's no homework except the assigned readings. The days when the midterm and final paper is due, make sure you actually dedicate a few days to write it if you want a good grade. Go to office hours!!! She's really nice and will explain things you are not certain of. For example, I thought I deserved a better grade on my midterm because I thought I understood everything but to my surprise, I did sub-par as what I am used to. When I went to office hours to hear her explanations, I realized that I fooled myself into thinking I understood the concepts when I didn't. Still, she grades harshly but fairly (made clear from her syllabus). The biggest tip is to clarify anything you have doubts about such as specifications for essays and terms that you didn't quite understand or found boring so you didn't listen as closely through office hours. In addition, be careful of grammar.

The professor doesn't seem to be well prepared for lecture. Teaches absolutely nothing about writing or literary analysis. Rather lets students READ OUT THE ENTIRE STORY ONE BY ONE DURING LECTURE than taking the trouble to explain it herself. Doesn't even seem to be really familiar with the novel translated by herself. Knows nothing about technology, spends 10 minutes trying to show a writer's face on Google, never updates gradebook on Collab. Harsh and unpredictable grader as well. She's not bad as a person, but it's really time for retirement.

Professor Wilson is a wonderful person. She is kind, funny, and I've learned a lot just by being around her. That being said, I'm not sure if I would recommend this class if you are taking it to fulfill the second year writing requirement like I did. The readings are interesting and Japanese culture is fascinating, but one week you read a short story and the next week you read a 200 page book. Her grading is fairly harsh and I did not learn a lot writing-wise. If you are interesting in this class for the non-western perspective, go for it!

Lectures are long and take the ENTIRE two and a half hours, even if the Professor has run out of things to say. That said, she is a fantastic lecturer and has given me excellent advice. If you're interested in Japanese literature, she is not only knowledgeable, but compassionate and supportive.